NAGPUR (Maharashtra, India): A dance performance by noted film star Hema Malini planned to be held as part of a tribal art festival in Nagpur district of India’s Maharashtra state has triggered a severe backlash from tribal groups, with activists alleging that it hurts their religious feelings, is against their culture and is a waste of money.
The issue has whipped up sentiments especially since Maharashtra Minister of State for Finance Ashish Jaiswal is involved in the planning and execution of the festival. Jaiswal is the local legislator.
A performance of the dance-drama “Draupadi” by Hema Malini’s dance troupe is scheduled for Sunday as part of the three-day Kuvara Bhivsen Tribal Folk Art Festival that began in Parseoni town of Nagpur district on Saturday. Tribal organizations have opposed the move saying the dance program is against their culture and will pollute it.
A delegation of representatives from several tribal organizations met Superintendent of Police Nagpur Rural Harssh Poddar on Sunday afternoon to demand that the organizers be booked for hurting their religious feelings. In a memorandum submitted to Poddar, the activists said offences under Sections 299 (Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 302 (Uttering words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings of any person) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) be registered against the organizers of the festival being held in Parseoni. The delegation was later asked to meet the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Ramtek, since Parseoni is under his jurisdiction.
Earlier, on Friday, a delegation of tribal organizations met Ayushi Singh, Additional Commissioner in the Tribal Development Department of the Government of Maharashtra in Nagpur and submitted a memorandum about the matter. The delegation demanded that the film star’s dance performance be dropped from the schedule. The memorandum stated that the traditions and dialects of tribal communities are extremely rich, and hence, any performance by film artistes would be inappropriate.
The delegation included representatives from the Kunwara Bhivsen Panchkameti, National Gondwana Sadom Sangh, Adivasi Vikas Yuva Parishad, Gondwana Mahila/Yuva Kranti Sena, Adivasi Sangram Parishad, Gondwana Ganatantra Party, Birsa Brigade, Akhil Gondwana Minority Sangh, Gondwana Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party Adivasi Aghadi, Birsa Munda Youth Force, Bhimalpen Kranti Dal, Indigenous Student Organization, Birsa Kranti Dal, Kunwara Bhivsen Palki Yatra Committee, Adivasi Sanyukt Morcha and Gondsabha Pathshala Society.
Earlier, in a statement issued here on Friday, Gondwana Ganatantra Party Maharasthra unit President Harish Uike alleged that funds belonging to the Tribal Development Department were being misused for the festival. Hema Malini’s proposed dance performance had no connection whatsoever to tribal culture or the history of tribal people. Experts with knowledge about tribal culture should have been invited to the festival, but unfortunately, money was being spent on artistes from the film industry, he said.
He said that money was being spent on such activities while tribal children were facing a shortage of textbooks and uniforms, and schools in rural areas did not have teachers. Uike asserted that diverting funds earmarked for the development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to other purposes constitutes a violation of the Constitution. If such misappropriation is being committed intentionally, the officials of the Tribal Development Department and the elected representatives concerned must be held accountable, and action should be initiated against them under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He noted that this festival is being organized under the guidance of the Minister of State for Finance, Ashish Jaiswal.
The festival is taking place in Parseoni from April 18 to April 20. The event is being organized jointly by the South Central Zone Cultural Centre and the Tribal Department of the Government of Maharashtra. An official press release said that a diverse array of tribal folk arts would be showcased during the program.
The press release said that more than 90 tribal artistes representing six tribal dance troupes from three different states would present vibrant cultural performances during the festival. These performances would feature renowned tribal dance forms such as Saila Karma and Gedi from Chhattisgarh, Baiga Karma, Baiga Pardhoni and Gudum Baja from Madhya Pradesh, and Tarpa, Saongi Mask Dance and Khapri Dance from Maharashtra.
However, the press release makes no mention of any performance by Hema Malini. Nevertheless, in a video circulated on social media, Jaiswal himself can be seen stating that a performance by Hema Malini would take place on Sunday (April 19, 2026) as part of the festival.
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